Why Money Might Not Be As Important to You As You Think

Pop quiz: Name three aspects of your career or business that are more important to you than money.

Okay, just name one.

It’s not easy, is it?

We’re not trained to think this way. Since childhood, we’ve heard repeatedly from authority figures that getting a job or launching a business is all about “providing” or “earning a steady income” or “making a living.” All of which mean money — and only money.

I’ve probably given this more thought than most people have, for one reason: Simple math. I remember as a kid thinking about what a massive portion of my life I was going to spend working — eight hours a day, five days a week, for decades. So it occurred to me I’d better find a career that I’d actually like, or at least not hate.

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So as I began looking for my first job, I made a list of things that I would gladly trade for more salary. It was one of the most valuable exercises I ever engaged in for determining my quality of life.

I’ve added to it over the years, and below is my current list of factors that are more important to me in my career than earning more money. Ask yourself if any of these would apply to you as well.

I’d gladly trade more money for…

1) The ability to do something I love for a living

2) The freedom to work flexible hours

3) The freedom to work from anywhere, including home

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4) The freedom to dress any way I choose while I’m working

5) The opportunity to work with people I like and respect

6) The ability not to have to manage anyone

Some of these might seem trivial — working from home and dressing in shorts and t-shirts while working (which I’ve done more or less every day for a decade). And some might seem like the exact opposite of what we’re taught about professional advancement — like not wanting to manage people, not wanting to “climb” any “ladder.”

Write your own list of things you’d trade for money

I think it’s a great exercise to write down your own list, for several reasons. First, it’s a great way to hone in on what really matters to you in life. I think you’ll be surprised at how low money actually ranks on your list. If you don’t believe me, imagine a recruiter called you to offer you a job that paid twice (or three times, or five times) what you earn today. Now imagine the job…

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1) Had a two-hour commute

2) Demanded you be in the office 10+ hours a day and often on weekends

3) Was a high-pressure environment where supervisors berated the weaker performers

4) Wasn’t something you enjoyed doing Now spend a minute thinking about all of that extra salary you’d be earning. Would it be worth it, if it meant giving up so much of your life to a long drive, long hours in an environment where you didn’t feel comfortable doing something you didn’t enjoy?

Ask yourself: How much money would I need to give up the best thing about my job?

Thinking about this from another angle, consider the highest-ranking non-monetary item on your list — or, if it’s easier, consider the thing you like best about your current job or business. Maybe you live close to your office, or you have a very flexible schedule and can disappear when you need to take some personal time.

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Would you give that up for another $5,000 a year? How about $10,000?

When you think of it this way, you can see just how much competition money has for things that really matter to your professional happiness.

Money is how we all keep score, and it makes sense that by default it’s where you’d put your focus and your energy — and your frustration if you aren’t happy in your career.

But when you realize that your professional life can be shaped by many key factors other than money — doing what you love, working with people you respect, setting your own professional path — you’ll find it a lot easier to start reshaping your career the way you want it… without worrying so much about sacrificing salary. You might even realize you’re a lot closer to achieving professional fulfillment and happiness than you thought, when you were focused primarily on the size of your paycheck.

10 Reasons Why Following Your Passion Is More Important Than Money

Elite Daily have got some great points as to why you should chase down your dream job, regardless of how much the wage is. If you’re feeling unfulfilled in your career, maybe it’s because you’re on a path that doesn’t connect with your passion? Maybe it’s time to steer right off that road and take a different route:

Money is a very powerful thing, it builds empires and breaks down kingdoms, it allows for dreams to come true and it takes others away, it makes some people happy and others completely miserable. Today the pursuit of money is almost directly linked to the pursuit of happiness, many will argue that money = happiness.

However, this is inherently problematic as this mindset leads many people to stray down a path that doesn’t best suit them. When people choose their careers, they are sometimes blinded by money and so choose to follow the paper trail. Although money is great and can buy us all the things that will temporarily make us happy, no amount of money can buy time. Time is our most valuable asset and it is something, that while on this earth, we should spend most wisely. You shouldn’t feel like you’re mindlessly wasting your life away

This generation is particularly in trouble because jobs are scarce and many of us will be stuck doing jobs we hate just because we need money. Although this may be the right move for our careers now, this shouldn’t be something we do for the rest of our lives. it is best we search for something we are passionate about. Here are the 10 reasons why you should follow your passion and not the money.

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1. Working for money may seem like good enough motivation for one to keep at their career.

Every morning Monday through Friday you go to work 9 to 5 sitting their punching away the hours stressing about the work at hand. This is not a way to enjoy your life. Working for 8 hours a day 5 times a week at something that makes you miserable is not the way you live life to the fullest.

Many people who choose careers that don’t make them happy will tell you that they would all do it differently if they had the chance. You only have one life, so don’t waste it working somewhere you hate just because of the money.

2. You’re more passionate about the work you are doing.

There is nothing worse than having to wake up every morning during the week to mindlessly go do work you don’t even care about. However, this is never really an issue when you are passionate about the work you do. If you are not forced to work somewhere because of monetary constraint, you truly enjoy what you do and you never really work a day in your life.

3. You can relate more to the work and come up with better ideas.

Being forced to do work is one of the most draining experiences. While there are times at every job where you may feel the work may be draining and dull, you have to realize that not every day is going to be an enjoyable one. There are highs and lows, but when you are passionate about the work you you look past the dull days. Your creative process is also different. You are more inclined to come up with creative ideas when you like what you do.

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4. Work doesn’t feel like it’s forced upon you.

When you value money over your overall health and your passion, you will find yourself in an endless cycle of misery. Work no longer becomes a career or a journey, but more of a taxing nuisance on your mind and body that has to get done.

Every day that you go to work with this mindset you begin to hate your job more and more. While many people feel that they must work hard to retire and have money to enjoy themselves, what’s the point of enjoying yourself in your later years when you spent your life being miserable?

5. No matter how much money you make, nothing will help you overcome the feeling of doing something you hate.

Many accountants come into corporate America, put in reckless hours during the week and make a great paycheck on pay day. Many of them have all this money piled up, but they never really get to enjoy the fruits of their labor because their labor takes up most of their lives.

Many of them hate their jobs because they aren’t really passionate about what they do. Is there a worse feeling than doing something you hate? Eventually this hatred will cause stress and in the long run, it will have lasting effects on your health.

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6. You are more inclined to work later hours.

When you work somewhere that you are passionate about, putting in later hours isn’t as much of a burden as it is when you don’t like what you are doing. To you, putting in the extra hours doesn’t hurt as much because you don’t feel like you are forced to do it, which makes the experience that much more enjoyable.

Every industry has a busy season and without a doubt there will come a time when you will need to put in the extra hours. Will it be easier for you to work longer on something you can relate to or something you can’t stand doing?

7.You are willing to go above and beyond the call of duty.

Certain obligations at your work will require you to go above and beyond the call of duty. In certain times during the busy seasons, you may be asked to do certain tasks that are not part of your everyday schedule. It is much easier for you to put in the extra work if it’s something you actually care about. Because you are passionate about your job, you will be willing to put in the extra effort to go beyond what is required of you.

8. No obstacle will stop you from achieving success.

When you really enjoy what you do, nothing will stop you from getting your work done. Because you are passionate about what you do, you feel unstoppable and nothing can obstruct you from achieving greatness. Your passion ignites your work, and like a rocket, it accelerates you past road blocks that may come about. Any obstacle that comes your way is accepted and fought off with a creative solution.

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9. Our working careers will consume most of our lives, so we might as well do something we enjoy.

You will spend a majority of your life working and there is no other way around this fact unless you are born into a wealthy family or marry rich. For the rest of us who weren’t fortunate enough, we will be spending a good portion of our lives working in order to make ends meet.

There is no way around this, so we might as well accept the cards we are dealt. Many people go about this the wrong way because they feel like work is something they have to do rather then something they can enjoy. Once you realize that your career should be something you enjoy, then you will lead a more happy and fulfilling life.

10. You will get more fulfillment when you finally make it.

There are few feelings better than achieving a level of success you set out for yourself. Nothing like crossing off your bucket list of goals you set out for yourself to achieve. When you finally reach the pinnacle, it is that much more enjoyable knowing you got there doing something you love. Remember work doesn’t have to be something that you hate doing, stay true to yourself and always do what makes you happy.